welcome back, everybody. well, post-newtown, lawmakers have introduced legislation to strengthen care for the mentally ill. a big issue in the gun control debate, as well. >> that's right. the bill would expand access to treatment and enable community clinics to provide round the clock psychiatric care. a closer look at the issue of guns and the meantry ill. >> reporter: the search for solutions after the massacre at sandy hook elementary cut through this minneapolis jail this week, where the sheriff rick staneck told us he sees

firsthand a link between gun violence and mental health. >> this is not about those who are receiving treatment. they're no more violent than anybody else. but untreated, we have a problem. >> reporter: staneck is president obama's ear, using white house meetings to push for more resources to identify and treat the mentally ill and keep dangerous people away from guns. the problem can be seen at jails across the country like this one, where an estimated 25% to 30% of inmates suffer from a mental illness. experts say not all those people belong here. those that do sometimes struggle to get the care they need. 8 of the 9 killers in mass shootings last year had histories of mental illness. few received care and none were blocked from legally purchasing a well because of gaps in the federal background system. >> when we run the background check for you to purchase or acquire a hand gun, if we say it's okay, nothing comes back, you should be good to go. the fact of the matter it's not. it's really become america's

dirty little secret about these background checks. >> reporter: just 12 states actively submit mental health data to the federal data base. those that do only include court ordered records. on a visit to minnesota this week president obama said strengthening that system is a top priority. proposing money for states for better recordkeeping and asking doctors to report credible threats of violence when they appear. >> you have people who have committed these tragedies, who would not have come to anyone's attention. they wouldn't meet our commitment standards. they weren't in trouble with the law. we should be intervening early and right away with the intensity that's needed. >> reporter: it's a costly plan that will likely take a long time. and one far from foolproof. >> people need to keep hammering away and do the fixes that we suggested first and foremost. even if it's piecemeal and baby steps. >> reporter: steps that may one day prevent another tragedy from happening again. devin dwyer, abc news, minneapolis. >> and there really is no way

the gun control debate in this country can proceed without an equally important discussion about mentally ill. you look at the stats of the mass shootings in recent years. how many of those men have clearly had mental illness. for whatever reason went through the system unchecked. somehow get their hand on a gun. that is absolutely part of the conversation. >> and the problem is, none of these people look or act alike. so we thought we had an idea of who was behind the mass shootings. young, white, maladjusted. now we're talking about christopher dorner, very well adjusted black man who was a police officer. and he's on a rampage right now. so there's no way to know who they are. when they're going to strike. >> there's no foolproof profile, but there certainly is most would argue the common ingredient of they all have mental issues going on in their head that somehow were not detected early enough, no one in their family or school or church

or office had the power to say -- >> something's up. >> something's up with this guy. >> let's call some people. >> get this before it turns tragic. that's a lesson we keep learning the very hard way in this country. >> unfortunately. still ahead, you hear the stories. people getting discovered in all kinds of places. >> we'll introduce you to a young walmart employee who was passing the time with a song. then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now." song. then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now."

♪ oh, play me some mountain music ♪ ♪ like grandma and grandpa used to play ♪

♪ i'll float on down the river talent can be found in all kinds of places, not on this show. but moving on. consider the case of a young woman passing the time at her job in walmart simply by singing. >> thanks to a customer with an ear for music, this talented cashier is now a youtube sensation. abc's steve osunsami has her story. ♪ i'm proud to be a coalminer's daughter ♪ >> reporter: she's proof there's big talent in small places. 21-year-old kayla sloan was toiling away in the checkout lane at this walmart in west virginia when a customer noticed her singing a tune. and then pulled out an iphone to record the magic. little did she know the video would catch fire on the internet. ♪ my coat of many colors >> reporter: this is coal mining country. her husband is a coal miner, her grandfather, too. she told us she's had big dreams for years. but never thought there's any chance they could come true. >> i never even thought that it would make it that far.

i honestly thought that people would see me and enjoy it. but as far as it making -- making it that far, i never even dreamed. i'm hoping to be on the grand ole opry. ♪ take the ribbon from my hand >> reporter: when she was 15, she and her brother cobbled together what little they had to record this homemade album that no one heard. but now she's a hit. at least in the mountains and certainly at the walmart she calls her second home. ♪ >> i've actually had people come through my line and be like, can i have your autograph? or will you sing me a song? i start singing. ♪ lord, forgive me for what i do ♪ ♪ you want him, well it's up to you ♪ >> reporter: she now sings at her register, in the break room, and underneath the valentine's day balloons that are for sale. she says she'll never give up. no matter how small the stage. steve osunsami, abc news, west virginia.

>> she's going to make it. she's already made it. >> she made national news. big hit on youtube. some producer, some reality show executive is going to see that and go, book her. done. that's all it takes these days. she's going to be a star. >> honey boo-boo, here we come. >> i'm telling you. she can sing, though. i admire the persistence. >> good for her. >> no matter how small the stage. that was a nice line, steve. i agree. so keep on rocking. coming up, it's almost polka time on this friday morning and a little surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. ing. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien.

allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪

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well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovely diana perez, she has now completed her first full week with us here on "world news now." >> wow. >> the entire week now in the books and already we have learned many, many interesting things about you, my dear. >> yes. >> this has been an educational week. for example, we know that her husband deuces is an anchor there for our abc affiliate.

>> why do we keep showing that ugly face he made? >> and he will now have overnight feeding duty for their infant son. a good guy doing his thing there in philly. we learned that. and then we have this little guy right here, your 4 1/2-month-old son, first-time mom, devin. adorable baby. >> thank you. >> and the love of your life. >> i love him to death. can't get enough. >> no. he's an adorable kid. i'll give you that. absolutely. and we learned about diana's celebrity crush, penelope cruz. >> well, yes. >> which is my favorite thing i learned here. we'll talk more about that privately. but in the meantime, a very special polka with barry mitchell! ♪ born in philly, raised in queens, worked in boston for baked beans ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ ♪ we've picked a winner and it shows, just try not to pick your nose ♪

♪ that's the perez polka, i hope you read the fine print in your contract it's a beut ♪ ♪ twice a week you're at the theme park wearing mickey's suit ♪ ♪ alma mater's here with a rousing college cheer ♪ ♪ the hofstra hempstead cheerleaders ♪ ♪ ♪ folks out there are half asleep, so how come all the fuss ♪ ♪ your husband's name is deuces but you're aces with us ♪ ♪ our youngest insomniac, that's the perez polka ♪ ♪ we knew that you were qualified the first time that you spoke ♪ ♪ we hired you because you laughed at each rob nelson joke ♪ ♪ just remember dignity has no place at half past 3:00 ♪ >> oh, that's okay.

♪ that's the perez polka >> welcome, diana perez. let's hear it! and we have a special something for you from the cheer leading coach christina ferino. where is it over there? this is for you. were you a cheerleader back in your college days? these guys, seven times national champions. eight times or seven times? eight times national champions. we'll see you monday.

two major stories we're following on "world news now." first, blizzard warnings and hurricane force winds expected just hours from now in the northeast. why this storm could go down in the record books. and the developing story from southern california. the major manhunt for an ex-cop accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. it's friday, february 8th.

captions paid for by abc, inc. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. on this very busy friday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather updates us on the blizzard, and we'll get the very latest from l.a. on the man hunt. >> terrifying story out west. also this morning or colleague robin roberts has announced when she is returning to "good morning america." a big update on her road to recovery as she gets ready to get up early once again and head back to the studio. later on the party invitation that's outraged whitney houston's mother, cissy. coming up in the skinny. a mammoth storm that will be hitting the northeast, bringing hurricane force winds and in some spots up to two feet of snow. >> storm warnings are posted from green bay to portland.

we begin with abc's chuck sivertsen. >> reporter: after back-to-back blizzards two years ago and the unforgettable wrath of superstorm sandy, mother nature is unleashing a winter storm so intense, the snowfall could be the worst in a century. the warnings could not be clearer. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: a snowstorm that hit the great lakes with snow and ice is joining another storm in the south to form a monster nor'easter. as many as 23 million people are in the path. some coastal areas hit by hurricane sandy are in the bull's-eye of a prolonged storm. some of sandy's survivors still living in tents on new york's staten island will have to move. floods threaten the northeast shoreline for thousands of miles. it's a dreaded sense of deja vu. along the new jersey shore. >> i think i'm going to have to move my things upstairs and see what happens. >> in case it floods? yeah. >> reporter: salt truck and plow operators from pennsylvania to

maine are ready for a long haul. >> it will probably be a long four days. you know? which is tough on anybody. >> reporter: fears of power outages sent people to the supermarkets to stock up. sales of generators are brisk, and travelers have been changing plans, rebooking flights to avoid agonizing airline delays. >> they relaxed their policies. so i don't have to may anything. >> reporter: thousands of flights will be canceled. a necessary precaution when up to two feet of snow may fall in a storm that's destined for the record books. chuck sivertson, abc news, new york. >> this storm could bring the heaviest snowfall in some are areases of the country in a century. >> a crippling snowstorm expected today. two systems colliding. low pressure strengthening. watching the corridor from new york city on north and eastward. blizzard conditions from long island up through maine through the overnight. worst conditions from noontime on.

but the worst of the worst occurs around 7:00 p.m. tonight on through the early morning hours. by the time all is said and done, many spots one to two feet of snow. rob and diana, back to you. >> our thanks to jim. now to the other top story. the intense search in southern california for suspected triple killer christopher dorner. right now they're focusing in the big bear lake area about 80 miles east of los angeles. that's where dorner's burnt out pickup truck was discovered. dorner, an ex-cop, is wanted for killing a police officer, a popular basketball coach, and her fiance. abc's nick watt reports on the motive. >> reporter: 33-year-old christopher dorner lives here in orange county with his mother. a forensic psychologist. who just read his manifesto has a startling conclusion. dorner was never planning to return home. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can. and -- >> and then be killed? >> and then be killed. >> reporter: four years ago when he says he was fired by the

lapd, he claimed a colleague kicked a detainee. the department disagreed. the former chief who once met dorner doesn't remember the case. >> believe me, the department goes through exhaustive efforts, and there were a multiple series of trials and reviews before an officer would be discharged. >> reporter: no one grows up and wants to be a cop killer, wrote dorner. it was against everything i ever was. in his sometimes rambling 6,000-word statement, dorner says he wants to clear his name and expose corruption. >> he knows what he's doing. >> reporter: but why now? dorner was honorably discharged from the u.s. navy reserve just last friday after ten years' service. including a tour in the persian gulf. was that the trigger for this killing spree? or evidence of careful planning? >> i have more questions than i do have answers at this point. >> reporter: if dorner gets his apparent wish, if he is killed, we might never know the whole truth. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> wow. and this 6,000 word manifesto

gives some scary insight into what he is thinking. one part in the document where he writes, self-preservation is no longer important to me. i do not fear death, as i died long ago on 1-2-09, referring to the day that he was fired. >> right. >> from the force here. so this is a guy as you heard from the piece who is looking to kill and be killed. that's what makes him so dangerous. >> this manifesto is interesting. he kind of switches between completely insane and 100% lucid. >> yes. >> he talks about two different political figures and different stars on television almost like this is something he now has a platform. unfortunately, he does. because this is such a big story. we have to talk about it. we have to talk about him. experts say he's not crazy. he's just narcissistic. >> exactly. >> it's all about him. >> it's a sickness in terms of that it drove him to murder. but he is aware of what he's doing. he mentioned celebrities. in the same manifesto he talked

about ellen degeneres. he talked about larry david. charlie sheen and celebrity chief anthony bordain. so in this mix of talking about his life, these celebrity things intertwine. he also sent a package to anderson cooper. >> we'll get into that later on. you'll see what was in the package. just looking for attention and he's obviously getting it and he's -- he's getting it in more ways than one. and we need to find him. >> absolutely. >> they need to find him. >> exactly. that's whee the l.a. area is very much on edge. in other news this morning, boeing has been given the okay to run test flights on its 787 dreamliner. even though one jet flew from texas to washington state yesterday, the entire fleet of 787 passenger planes remains grounded. the upcoming flight will be used to test the plane's lithium ion batteries. the giant jets were taken out of service after one battery caused a fire and another smoldered during a flight. airline analysts predict if and when american airlines

merges with us airways, fares could go up simply because there will be less competition. fares, in fact, have gone up 20% since 2009. industry experts also say there could be an emergence of discount carriers looking for business. the merger is expected to be announced next week, but will still need regulatory approval. in a small texas school district, there are a lot of double-takes going on this semester. >> that's for sure. that's because there are 14, yeah, 14 sets of twins roaming those halls. the twins are not all identical. but those who are shared stories of switching places. >> some of the kids say their parents are urging them to dress differently to make it less confusing for their teachers. now, this is a great story. but interesting fact, this is not a record. i did a story in connecticut -- this is a school district in texas. i did a story where in one high school, southberry high school,

there are 14 sets of twins in one school. and a lot of these kids had come up through, you know, elementary school, middle school, high school and they were sad they were going to be separated. once college came. but they are the record holders. guinness book of world records. >> how long ago did you do that story? >> that was probably 2 1/2 years ago. >> okay. >> yeah. so some of them have -- most of them have already graduated. >> in this latest case in texas only one set of the twins actually a boy/girl combo. the rest of them are same sex. >> there were a lot of boy-girl combos in the story i did. so cool. >> would you want a twin? >> always. my entire life i wanted a twin. >> really. >> my entire life i wanted a twin. and i want to have twins. >> so you're not done with the one kid? >> that's what i'm saying on television. >> you heard that, deuces. >> hey, baby. >> have a wonderful valentine's day. coming up later in the show, why justin bieber is complaining, even though he's hitting a big musical milestone.

and robin roberts' recovery and the date she's set to return to "good morning america." you're watching "world news now." ♪ [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide

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♪ we have some excellent news to pass along to you this morning about our friend and colleague robin roberts. >> she has officially announced when she will return to the airwaves. abc's linzie janis reports on robin's recovery and how she is preparing for the big return. >> robin, this is a moment we have been waiting for. >> reporter: "good morning america's" robin roberts has been cleared by her doctors to return to work. she's been testing her strength, running through shows and winding her alarm clock back to 3:45 a.m. and now we have a date. >> wednesday, february 20th. exactly five months to the day she had her bone marrow transplant. >> reporter: robin rejoins co-host george stephanopoulos and the rest of the "gma" gang. and they aren't the only ones welcoming her home. >> robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you.

god bless you. >> i am delighted to know that robin is coming back on the air. >> welcome back, robin! >> reporter: just last week, robin returned to her hometown in mississippi for the first time since her bone marrow transplant. watching the super bowl and celebrating her recovery with family. >> i feel mother's spirit. i feel daddy's spirit. and i know that from their heavenly balcony right now, they are celebrating. >> reporter: it was robin's sister, sally ann, who donated the bone marrow robin needed to get better. her blood disorder was a side effect of chemotherapy she received as part of her breast cancer treatment back in 2007. when she returns, robin will ease her way in, working her way back up to five days a week. she says she can't wait. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> it is wonderful, wonderful to see her. she's eased her way back in. so it's nice to see that she's finally going to -- we're going to see her. >> february 20th is the big day. she's had a miraculous recovery.

i've said it on the air before. i'll say it again. she is one of the most grounded, down to earth, real home, genuine human beings, don't let all the tv stuff go to her head, people in this entire building. so we're all just happy she's back and wish her nothing but the best. the show is not the same without her there. >> i know. we'll finally start tuning back in, robin. >> we'll see you in a few days. coming up, outcry over insensitivity from whitney houston's mother. and justin bieber's upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> welcome to "the skinny," everybody. we're starting with whitney houston's mom, cissy, who is very upset. so she got an invitation to clyde davis' grammy party. now, as you may remember, it was the annual party last year or leading up to the annual party last year that whitney houston died in the hotel. >> she performed at that party, remember that? last year. and then later that night went to the hotel and that's when she passed away. because the next night was the

grammys. something like that. yeah. >> so mom says she got the invitation. she called it obscene. she says she has no idea why they would want me to come to the party in which she died. she called it unheard of. but she did say she probably -- she thinks they sent it to her for remembrance's sake. she's not attending the party. she's not attending the grammys. she did admit she will be tuning in to watch. and all of this ties into the fact that she also just released a book, which bobbi kristina tweeted out saying that it was disrespectful to her and her mother. to which cissy says she's grieving. we get it. but she knows that i love her. >> a lot of houston family drama. the daughter and the relationship with bobbi and all this kind of stuff. >> lots of drama. >> it's not obscene to be invited. it's obviously a sign of respect. clyde made whitney a star. >> the entire family is still grieving. so it's got to be a sensitive subject. >> before we move on to lighter news, we wanted to give our respects to stuart freeborn. he passed away at the age of 98 in london. you may not know the name or face, but you know his work. he was the makeup genius behind "star wars."

he's the one who did chubaca and j java the hut. had a six decade career in film. he did "2001 space odyssey," but his claim to fame was "star wars" and george lucas released an incredibly flattering statement saying he was already a legend in the business before he came to the set of "star wars." but just wanted to note that passing and send thoughts and love to the family. but everyone loves "star wars." >> absolutely. justin bieber has become the first artist with five number one albums before his 19th birthday. >> wow, before 19. >> before he hit 19, this man has -- this boy, this teenager has five number one albums on the billboard 200. "believe acoustic" debuts atop the list with 211,000 copies sold.

but great success and great tragedy, i guess if you can call it tragedy. he's never been nominated for a grammy. >> i don't know if tragedy is the word. >> maybe not tragic. i can't think of a word. >> great success comes great -- a little bit less success. also, weird context here for a reality show. apparently the mandela family, yes, as in nelson mandela, that family is jumping into the reality tv game. >> what? >> he himself obviously has had health issues. he's not going to be in the show. but his two 30-something granddaughters will be followed by the cam reras as they do the mother thing in johannesburg and his controversial ex-wife winnie will be in the piece as well. the first season will debut very soon. it should be interesting. we usually don't get a personal peek into this anti-apartheid icon and his family.

>> this man has been in and outside of the hospital. he is a sick man. >> hey, it's reality tv. >> you've got to sign up if they give it to you. really quickly, john mayer is admitting he was a jerk to ex-girlfriends. we've all seen john mayer and those beautiful women he's dated. jessica simpson, jennifer anniston. now he's dating katy perry. he's going to be on cbs this sunday morning with charles osgood. he's basically admitting he was a jerk to his girlfriends. but he is a new man. >> girls like the bad boys. >> that's true. ue. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm janelle monáe. and i'm a covergirl. ♪

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>> yeah. >> nothing personal. >> it's okay. >> i roll my eyes at the week. from a super bowl blackout to a tense hostage standoff, it's been again another very busy news week. here's a look back at our friday rewind. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown. >> we've identified gaping holes in the background checks. it's really become what is america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> the suspect's mother, she may have reached out to mr. kyle to try and help her son. and we kind of have an idea that maybe that's why they were at the range for some type of therapy. >> at the time i had plans to commit suicide. um, so i was extremely confident that no injury would convict me because i didn't expect any of you to be here.

>> mr. kdykes was observed holding a gun. at this point, fbi agents fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child. ♪ >> we lost power. i don't know what happened. >> i just knew with jim harbaugh being on the other sideline and all those years we've been together, that that game was going to be a dog fight right to the end. >> when washington is the biggest obstacle to economic growth, we have a big problem. while big banks and lenders built mortgage backed bonds, it was s&p ratings that detonated them. >> it's not a burp. it's barely a fart. >> chris christie turned 50, he blew out the candles on his cake and he wished for another cake. >> i don't like to get emotional, but i know what he's going through. >> today you can see that i'm alive. i can speak. i can see you. i can see everyone. and i'm getting better day by day.

it's just because of the prayers of people. >> that's a lot of interesting stuff. >> that girl is so inspiring. i love her comeback and just what her life kind of represents to everybody now. >> yeah. she's a wonderful, remarkable young lady. that's for sure. >> i'm not rolling my eyes at that. >> i'm sorry.

this morning on "world news now," under siege. the man hunt across a huge section of california for an ex-cop accused of killing three people. >> the latest clues, the suspect's motives, and how police discovered his plans to kill again. it's friday, february 8th. >> from abc news, this is "world it's friday, february 8th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now."

captions paid for by abc, inc. >> good morning. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm rob nelson. from los angeles to san diego, and even into the mountains, police are frantically trying to find a killer. that's coming up in our top story. i find this riveting and beyond frightening about this rogue ex-cop who is trying to take out his own. so to speak. >> the details are pretty frightening. >> wow. and then on top of that, the other big story today, really throughout the weekend. blizzard warnings in the northeast. a storm that could impact up to 23 million people later today. thousands of flights are already canceled and accuweather of course is tracking it all for us this morning. not a pretty weekend if you're living in this part of the country. >> another scary part of our morning. that's for sure. also this morning, drastic action by a maintenance worker who quit his job after, get this, seeing the number 666 on his w-2 form. and it's not the first time these numbers have given him the devilish scare. also later this half hour, a

sweet time of the year. grab those props. as girl scout cookies go on sale, we will be celebrating this fundraising tradition that dates all the way back to the 1920s. and as i learn about my work wife here, we agree on what the best girl scout cookie is, which is very comforting news, samoas. absolutely the best cookie. i know there's a lot of thin mint fans out there, you can't beat the samoas. chocolate, caramel, coconut goodness. just saying. good. we agree on that. >> they're delicious. >> our marriage is off to a good start. it's been a good honeymoon. >> that's for sure. first, serious news. they're searching through the early morning hours around big bear lake for the fired police officer who vowed to bring warfare to the lapd. >> christopher dorner is heavily armed, highly trained and bent on revenge. brandi hitt has the latest. >> reporter: good morning. authorities are going door to door in the san bernardino mountains. where christopher dorner's truck

was found abandoned. but it's not known if he's even still in this area. >> they're sending everything up here. >> reporter: on the hunt and on edge. officers searching for accused cop killer christopher dorner have found their biggest clue yet. his burned out pickup truck in the mountains east of los angel angeles. >> we did find some tracks around the vehicle, but they did not lead to the suspect. >> reporter: the former lapd cop is accused of gunning down fellow officers and their families in revenge killings. detectives say he opened fire in two southern california cities thursday, killing one officer and wounding two more. >> he has multiple weapons at his disposal. including assault rifles. >> reporter: and lapd chief says the shootings are in retaliation for dorner's firing in 2008. in his online manifesto dorner says he was terminated for reporting abuses. he blames several officers, including captain randy quan. stating i never had the

opportunity to have a family of my own. i'm terminating yours. detectives believe drn dorner killed quan's daughter and her fiance on sunday. and may target more police families. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can, and then be killed. >> reporter: dorner also allegedly sent this package to cnn's anderson cooper last week. >> the package contained a dvd and bullet riddled keepsake coin. >> reporter: a former navy reservist, he was honorably discharged last week and his place badge was found thursday. near san diego's point loma navy base. we're talking about a guy who has tactical military and law enforcement training. detectives are combing through his burned truck for clues. rob and diana? >> thank you to brandi hitt for that. they're not only combing through the truck, they have search warpts. they've searched his las vegas home. no word on what they turned up, but sounding like not a whole lot. >> so far not too many clues. i can't get over this manifesto.

not only does he name celebrities in this, he talks about tim tebow. new york jets quarterback. he talked about -- he complimented michelle obama on her new bangs. he talked about ellen degeneres a little bit, larry david, charlie sheen. the weird package he sent to cnn and anderson cooper. he also in this manifesto encouraged the nation to go back to its assault weapons ban that we had years ago. >> right. he's encouraging -- >> the killer is -- that has already murdered a few people is saying, yes, i'm for gun control. a twisted mind we're dealing with here in a very dangerous situation. >> i said this earlier, the experts don't think he's crazy. he's narcissistic. he's self-centered. and he wants the attention. >> they're calling it a personality disorder. i suppose saying he is criminally insane or something like that. it is a story that's going to develop throughout the day. keep it here on abc news for the very latest. now to the other top story. a giant snowstorm is just hours away from bearing down on the

northeast, threatening to shut down new york and boston. crews in new england are gearing up for their plows and their salt spreaders for what could be a historic blizzard. there could be two feet of snow and hurricane force winds. drivers from new jersey to maine are told to stay off of the roads. and the northern edge of this storm is blowing over from the midwest, and it's already being blamed for a school bus accident in michigan. two children were injured when a bus slid off a snowy road. schools across the northeast will either be closed or dismissed early. 2,600 flights have already been canceled in the northeast. and in the hours ahead, expect a ripple effect nationwide. passengers were scrambling to fly out early last night. taking advantage of offers to switch flights without being charged the standard rebooking fees. others may be delayed until next week. >> it'll be a good weekend for many just to stay in the house or delay those travel plans maybe till sunday if you can. >> no reason to go out. >> stay in the same place. another reason why, busy

amtrak and mass transit lines are shutting down as well. and power companies are preparing for the worst. >> meteorologist jim dicky has the latest predictions from accuweather. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and diana. a blizzard unfolding here today. through the morning hours not so bad. conditions will deteriorate steadily through the afternoon. overnight, storms offshore. expecting blizzard conditions from long island through providence, rhode island. from boston through bangor, maine. anywhere in the light blue shade one fo two feet of snow. with locally over two feet just off to the west of boston. rob and diana, back to you. >> all right, jim. thanks a lot. now we turn to capitol hill where cia nominee john brennan has strongly defended the use of drones against terror targets. brennan told lawmakers that drone strikes are used only against targets planning to carry out attacks against the u.s. but never merely as retribution. he promised to tell congress every time the cia targets and kills suspected terrorists.

>> if i were to go to cia ands the cia was involved in any type of illegal activity, i would damn well make sure this committee had that type of information. absolutely. >> after the hearing, intelligence committee chair dianne feinstein called for more openness about drone strikes. the senator says lawmakers may set up a special court to actually regulate those strikes. >> talking about, this is a hot button issue. at the very beginning of that hearing, it was interrupted repeatedly by protesters who came in, and eventually the entire room had to be cleared and only people authorized to be there, because it was supposed to be open to the public, they were asked to leave. it was interrupted to many times, they couldn't even get their points across. >> we've seen that kind of thing before. they took it to another level yesterday, the fact that they had to close things off a little bit here. overall, politically speaking, seems likely he will get confirmation. he's certainly much more likely than chuck hagan. that seems to be a little more of an uphill battle.

so far, so good for mr. brennan. but the drone has become the hot issue, because the obama administration has kind of changed positions in the last couple of years about, you know, tactics. >> a little worrisome. that's for sure. well, the dream of luxury living is over for a squatter in south florida. andre barbosa had taken over this foreclosed boca raton mansion, claiming an archaic law called adverse possession. but the bank of america, which owns the multimillion dollar property, had him evicted. the bank even had the locks changed and posted a 24-hour guard just to make sure the place remains unoccupied. >> this story should entertain you guys. a man in tennessee has quit his maintenance job after being linked with the number 666 through his employer several times. first walter received id badge number 666. another work issued document also included the so-called number of the beast.

and the final straw was his recent w-2 form, when it included 666. he knew then he simply had to go. >> don't accept any papers, any telephone bills, anything with number of devil. >> the company contech casting says it wants walter back on the job. it says it will issue him a new w-2 form and it's now banned the use of the number 666 anywhere within the company. seems to be a little bit of a strong reaction. >> he's a very religious man and 666 does mean the devil. >> remember that movie "the omen" from the '70s. remember the older boy's name in that movie? damian. which happens to be my middle name. my parents liked the name so much. forget the satanic overtones. that name sounds cool. and i was born on the 6th month of the year at 6:22 a.m. and i

weighed 6 pounds and 11 ounces. i'm going to say it. just back off, willis. that's all i'm saying. don't mess with me. weird, personal note to pass on this morning. >> that's it. just a personal note. >> let's move on with the news, shall we? now to a sports note after all that. we're beginning to wonder if any men's basketball team actually wants to be ranked number one. >> it happened again last night. number one indiana was upset by illinois thanks to a last-second basket. hoosiers go down. final score 74-72. we say it happened again because the number one team has now lost for five straight weeks. up and down season, man. it's crazy. >> in addition to indiana, the number one -- last night was indiana's second loss as a number one this season. >> i love college hoops. almost time for march madness. i love it. coming up next, dog gone innovative care for man's best

friend. and expert advice on finding air fare bargains for the entire family. we'll find some money saving travel secrets. you're watching "world news now." now." [♪...] >> i've been training all year for the big race in chicago, but i can only afford one trip. and i just found out my best friend is getting married in l.a. there's no way i'm missing that. then i heard about hotwire and i realized i could actually afford both trips. see, when really nice hotels have unsold rooms, they use hotwire to fill them. so i got my four-star hotels for half-price! >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com >> announcer: save big on car rentals too, from $12.95 a day. [ male announcer ] no matter what city you're playing tomorrow. [ coughs ] ♪ you can't let a cold keep you up tonight.

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ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ with a major snowstorm about to hit the northeast, you might be starting to think about some warm weather. >> to escape the cold, you're going to have to fly for most of you guys, and that can get expensive. but abc's paula faris got some expert advice to save you some cash.

>> reporter: airline mergers can mean good news. you'll probably be flying on a newer aircraft. the bad news, with less competition, airfares can climb. >> just over the last three years, airfare has risen as much as 20%. >> reporter: rising fares are very much on the mind of the rodriguez family. madelyne and her three sons and daughter hoping to fly from honolulu to ontario, california, for a family reunion. and looking at nearly $1,000 a ticket. >> it's just too much. paula, i need your help. >> reporter: so we asked abc news.com travel expert genevieve shaw-brown for help. first tip, the rodriguez family is better off buying two tickets and then the remaining three tickets separately. finding all five seats together can cost you more for the convenience of sitting together. >> you have to be willing to break up the family, potentially. >> right. >> reporter: tip two, we've heard over and over it's best to fly on wednesday, the least

popular day to travel. but when is best to book? turns out it's tuesday at 3:00 p.m. >> that's when the airlines typically release their sale fares, so they tend to load their systems around that time. >> reporter: tip three, use sites like kayak.com, which alert you of any drops in fare. but buy your ticket directly with the airline, often cheaper than the middleman. and finally, be flexible. the rodriguezes were looking to fly with a layover to ontario, california. we found them a nonstop flight to los angeles just 60 miles away for almost $2,000 less. airlines don't publicize this, but many of them will issue you a voucher or credit if the fare goes down after you booked. some, however, will issue you a change fee. if you don't have time to track the fares there are websites that will do it for you and alert you if the fare goes down after you book. we have more on this on our website. rob and diana? >> thank you, paula, for that

report. we'll be back with more right after this.

♪ having a dog is, for some people, like having a child and sometimes just as expensive. >> when pets are sick, there are a wide variety of options, and more and more pet parents are choosing alternative treatments. so abc's juju chang checked it out. >> reporter: from bearded dragons to potbellied pigs, man's best friend comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. but when they get sick, we don't want to treat them like guinea pigs. instead, there's a growing movement to treat animals with the best that human medicine has to offer. >> like physical therapy. hydrotherapy. chemotherapy. and, yes, even alternative

therapy. pet acupuncture, to be precise. >> nobody likes seeing their pet in pain. >> reporter: snoops suffered with chronic back problem, which is common with shih tzus. he wound up paralyzed. >> he couldn't use his back legs. acupuncture works primarily with the central nervous system. there really isn't an e kwif lant conventional medicine to stimulate the nerves damaged that acupuncture can. >> reporter: 3 million humans in the u.s. use this therapy. debilitating pain to quitting smoking. mark swears that acupuncture made all the difference. >> she has a bad neck and bad back. >> reporter: while animals can't tell if the treatments work or not -- >> it's okay. it's all right. >> reporter: these owners say their pets' actions speak louder than words. >> i know it was acupuncture. the other stuff didn't work. after these treatments, she was like a little puppy again. >> well, it's not for everybody. but the proof is in the pudding. if you do it and it works, it works.

>> reporter: but there's a lot of skepticism, too. veteran vets say there's no science to prove that sticking dogs with needles is good medicine. >> the problem is there's no consensus. so you'll find some studies that show there's an effect. and you'll find there's studies that show no effect whatsoever. >> reporter: dr. david ramy helped shape the guidelines for alternative therapies on medicines on behalf of the american veterinarian association. >> another half truth is that there's such thing as an acupuncture point. nobody has ever been able to demonstrate there is such a thing. >> reporter: but even critics can agree, the best medicine for your pet is a lot of tlc. which doesn't cost anything and yet is still priceless. juju chang in new york. >> okay, two things. number one, that's a bit much because that's a lot of money and we have no idea if it works. because a dog can't say oh, that

felt good. the dog can't say that. number two, don't ever feed your dog out of your mouth, because that's just gross. >> that was in the piece? because i wasn't paying attention. >> i know. >> that happened during the piece? >> that happened at the very end. i love, love pets, animals. i am a lover of the canine. and the cat. >> do you let your dog lick you in the face? all that? >> no. >> that's where i draw the line. i don't think you and rin tin tin should be making out. got to draw the line somewhere with all that stuff. disgusting. we'll be back. tin should be making out. we'll be back. hd 3. [ female announcer ] with secret outlast clear gel, there's no white marks or worries.

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and to mark the day, we've got a few boxes of our own, as you can see here. not as many as a warehouse in michigan where tens of thousands of cases of cookies are all ready to be distributed there. girl scouts have been selling cookies as their main fundraiser since, get this, 1917. the scouts say the cookie sales help girls learn about money management and builds people skills, as well as confidence. even though it's more parents doing the selling than the girls sometimes. >> you said you weren't going to do that. >> i'm sorry. had to point that out. i'm sorry, i'm sorry. >> that's a controversy. there are 11 different kinds of girl scout cookies these days. let's take a look. >> thin mints. samoas, also known as caramel delights. >> tag-a-longs or peanut butter sandwiches. the shortbread cookies.

>> do-si-doh. the lemonades. the savannah smiles. dulce de leche. we have mango creams and the thank you berry much. >> i'm embarrassed to say i didn't know the do-si-doh. i stop at samoas. everybody has their favorite scout cookie. mine, the samoa. >> mine is the samoa, too. these are the best. so it's only natural that even the president of the united states has a favorite, as well. and if you're the president, making that decision can be a little tricky. check it out. >> i'm pretty partial to those mint -- >> thin mints! >> i'm just saying, that's just me. i didn't mean to create controversy here. did you hear? there was somebody booing. >> the president called out that person who was booing, who admitted he likes the peanut

butter cookies a little bit better. >> the girl scout cookies were created back in the early 1900s. it actually wasn't until the '30s they were sold in large scale. >> the girl scouts of greater philly sold them in gas andwind?

this morning on "worews this morning on "world news now," double trouble. two winter storms join together and now millions of people in the northeast are in mother nature's bull's eye. areas hard hit by superstorm sandy are about to get slammed again by blizzard conditions. sandy are about to get slammed again by blizzard conditions. it's february 8th. captions paid for by abc, inc. >> from abc news, this is "world

news now." >> good friday morning, everybody. a busy start to the weekend. that's right. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather predicts hurricane force winds and two feet of snow. that's our top story. another major headline, the all-out search for an ex-cop accused of killing three people. his motives and threats as southern california is under siege. >> such a frightening story and really a national manhunt at this point. also this morning a "world news now "follow up as lawmakers demand tighter gun regulations. there is a new focus on mental health care. hear from an outspoken minnesota sheriff who is now leading that discussion. and the need for speed. the fearless skateboarder who is in trouble after he took a joyride on busy streets going up to 43 miles an hour. lots of downhills, i'm assuming. >> looking good. all right. first, that fierce blizzard about to close in on the northeast, shaping up to be one for the record books. >> the northern edge of the storm has already slammed the midwest.

but it's about to get a lot worse. poised to dump two feet of snow on new england. 2,600 flights have already been grounded. more from abc's ginger zee. >> reporter: from new york to boston, the winter weather arsenals are prepped and ready for blizzard war. and those in charge of the snowy battle are keeping their commands simple. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: in a chaotic salem, massachusetts, supermarket, the fire department was called in because there were just too many people stocking up. >> what did you get? >> all the provisions, the junk food, the real food, the water. >> reporter: here's how it goes down. a storm slamming the great lakes now will join forces with another one from the south, and then there's the wind. wind gusts will reach 50 to 60 miles per hour from philadelphia to boston. >> we have more than 250,000 tons of salt on hand. our sanitation workers will work split 12-hour shifts starting at 7:00 p.m.

>> reporter: wind and tons of snow is the last thing they need in new york city, where folks in staten island are still using tents after superstorm sandy. >> hopefully we can supply them with enough food, hot food, you know, to get them through before the storm starts. >> reporter: this storm comes 35 years after the historic blizzard of 1978. two feet of snow and 70-plus-mile-per-hour winds paralyzed the northeast. i'm standing here on what looks like snow, but it's not. it is 100,000 tons of salt. they're getting another 60,000 ton delivery ahead of the storm. just one of the tools so many of us will be using. i think by this time tomorrow i'll be using these. seagoggles. ginger zee, abc news, massachusetts. >> mass transit systems and amtrak are cutting service in parts of the northeast. >> accuweather meteorologist jim dicky continues our coverage now. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and diana. a crippling snowstorm on tap

here for today. two systems merging, colliding off the eastern seaboard, strengthening, moving north and eastward, conditions rapidly deteriorating. as we head on through the afternoon, new york city likely starting as rain and changing over to snow. overnight here from providence, rhode island, on north to bangor, maine, blizzard conditions overnight. a distinction of strong winds and low visibility leading to very dangerous situation as far as travel is concerned. not a good night to be out and about on the roadways. that's for sure. accumulationswise, new york city right in the battleground. likely around a foot by the time all is said and done. wide swath of one to two feet of snow. including providence, rhode island, and boston. off to the west of boston, as much as two feet by the time all is said and done. rob and diana, back to you. >> don't you just love winter? oh, man. >> you mean when it snows? >> thank you, jim, for that. here's the rest of today's weather now. we have some showers around orlando and miami. some rain from san francisco to san diego. up to a half foot of snow in the southern california mountains, sierra nevada and northern rockies. >> 40s from seattle to salt lake city. 30s in the midwest.

83 in miami. the other major story we're following this morning, an intense manhunt in the mountains east of los angeles for a triple murder suspect. police are going door to door in the big bear lake area looking for christopher dorner. they say he's already killed three people including a police officer and the daughter of a former police captain. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can, and -- >> then be killed. >> and then be killed. >> he has multiple weapons at his disposal. including assault rifles. >> dorner posted a rambling manifesto on facebook. >> and apparently sent a package also to cnn's anderson cooper. he's threatening revenge for being fired back in 2008. as we look through this manifesto, he talks about being the victim of racism as a younger man and how this theme of being a victim is kind of one of the dominant themes of his life. on top of that on thursday

morning, he went to a yacht club near san diego where he attempted not successfully to steal a boat and then flee to mexico. tried to steal that boat at gunpoint. did not work out here. but this guy is armed and extremely dangerous. >> if you see him, police are asking that you call them right away. >> immediately. immediately. and in other news this morning, we're learning new details about ray routh, the man charged with killing a former military sniper as well as another man. a cell phone taken from routh's house may show pictures of him with the victims taken right before their deaths. his attorneys are asking for a psychiatric evaluation to determine if routh is, in fact, competent to stand trial. thousands of mourners are expected to attend a public memorial for sniper chris kyle. that will take place monday at cowboys stadium. also the president's choice for the next head of the cia defended the use of drones against terror suspects during his hearing yesterday on capitol hill. john brennan said such strikes are rarely used and only against targets who are planning to attack the u.s. however, the head of the intelligence committee, senator

dianne feinstein, is calling for even more openness about that drone program. outgoing defense secretary dee leon panetta has revealed for the first time that there was a plan in place to support rebels in syria. but that plan was eventually vetoed by president obama because of worries that the weapons might actually fall into the wrong hands. more than 60,000 people have died in syria's civil war. there's really -- i'm sorry. go ahead. >> by the way, i was just going to add to that civil war. it's cost that country the equivalent of $48 billion. >> wow. >> when you think about a war, our war obviously has cost us trillions of dollars. but a country that has no money, and they're relying on us for help, $48 billion is a lot of money. >> and the u.s. has already given syria about $210 million in aid to hopefully help those insurgents along to get assad out of office finally. but this issue of whether we arm them is one. how deeply should we be involved

in other countries' affairs. after two wars and libya, maybe the country was not ready to get involved in another country. but the big issue is we put these arms in syria. how do we know they're not going to get in the hands of terrorists? that's the big deal. and on the other side, the rebel, opposition groups, look to the u.s. and go, hey, where are you guys? you're not helping. that makes them bitter towards us and more likely to link hands with those same terrorists. so it's kind of a -- it's a lose on one hand and lose on the other one as well. >> all you have to do is look into our history books to realize that sometimes this doesn't really go as we want. because when afghanistan went up against russia, we armed afghanistan. now they're using our old weapons to fight us. and that's dangerous. >> that's always the question. how much of a police officer for the world does the u.s. have to be. how deeply involved. syria, the latest and best example. >> that's right. now to this. a couple of restaurants are undergoing major repairs after unwanted visitors came to visit. surveillance video shows a

bartender in south florida narrowly escaping as an suv comes crashing through a window. edmond perez suffered a cut on his leg. other than that, he's fine. the elderly driver was okay, as well. from the seattle suburbs, a van wound up inside a japanese restaurant. police say the driver was wearing a boot cast which got caught in the van's accelerator. four people were checked out. thankfully all of them were fine. a pretty outrageous stunt has police in south africa wanting to arrest one of that country's top skateboarders. here's why. the video shows him hammering it downhill on a steep road in capetown at over 40 miles an hour. >> cops say the speed he was going is irrelevant. they claim the video is proof that he was riding his board in a reckless and dangerous manner. another small issue with the ride? skateboarding is illegal in capetown on public roads. that's still cool. >> it looks cool. why do you think it's illegal? >> i'm not sure. i'm sure it's to protect the skateboarders. >> yes. oh, man.

i can't even roller skate. i look at that guy, i'm impressed. little bit of a wipeout. coming up later in the show, a special surprise for diana as she wraps up her first week on the overnight. >> oh, boy. later on, from the checkout counter to a potential singing career, we'll find some talent at walmart. you're watching "world news now." ews now." people everywhere with sore throats

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welcome back, everybody. well, post-newtown, lawmakers have introduced legislation to strengthen care for the mentally ill. a big issue in the gun control debate, as well. >> that's right. the bill would expand access to treatment and enable community clinics to provide round the clock psychiatric care. abc takes a closer look at the issue of guns and the mentally ill. >> reporter: the search for solutions after the massacre at sandy hook elementary cut through this minneapolis jail this week, where the sheriff rich stanek told us he sees

firsthand a link between gun violence and mental health. >> this is not about those who suffer from mental illness who are receiving treatment. they're no more violent than anybody else. but untreated, we have a problem. >> reporter: stanek is president obama's ear, using white house meetings to push for more resources to identify and treat the mentally ill and keep dangerous people away from guns. the problem can be seen at jails all across the country like this one, where an estimated 25% to 30% of inmates suffer from a mental illness. experts say not all those people belong here. those that do sometimes struggle to get the care they need. 8 of the 9 killers in mass shootings last year had histories of mental illness. few received care. none were blocked from legally purchasing a weapon because of gaps in the federal background check system. >> when we run the background check for you to purchase or acquire a hand gun, if we say it's okay, nothing comes back, you should be good to go. the fact of the matter is, it's not.

it's really become america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> reporter: just 12 states actively submit mental health data to the federal data base. those that do only include court ordered records. on a visit to minnesota this week, president obama sard said strengthening that system is a top priority. proposing money for states for better recordkeeping and asking doctors to report credible threats of violence when they appear. >> you have people who have committed these tragedies, who would not have come to anyone's attention. they wouldn't meet our commitment standards. they weren't in trouble with the law. we should be intervening early and right away with the intensity that's needed. >> reporter: it's a costly plan that will likely take a long time. and one far from foolproof. >> people need to keep hammering away and do the fixes that we suggested first and foremost. even if it's piecemeal and baby steps. >> reporter: steps that may one day prevent another tragedy from happening again. devin dwyer, abc news, minneapolis. >> and there really is no way the gun control debate in this country can proceed without an

equally important discussion about mentally ill. you look at the stats of the mass shootings in recent years. how many of those men have clearly had mental illness. for whatever reason went through the system unchecked. somehow able to get their hand on a gun. that is absolutely part of the conversation. >> and the problem is, none of these people look or act alike. so we thought we had an idea of who was behind the mass shootings. young, white, maladjusted. now we're talking about christopher dorner, very well adjusted black man who was a police officer. and he's on a rampage right now. so there's no way to know who they are. when they're going to strike. >> there's no foolproof profile, but there certainly is most would argue the common ingredient of, they're all -- you know, they all have some mental -- some issues going on in their heads that somehow were not detected early enough, no one in their family or school or

church or office had the power to say -- >> something's up. >> something's up with this guy. >> let's call some people. >> get this before it turns tragic. that's a lesson we keep learning the very hard way in this country. >> unfortunately. still ahead, you hear the stories. people getting discovered in all kinds of places. >> we'll introduce you to a young walmart employee who was passing the time with a song. then she became a youtube sensation. you're watching "world news now." sensation. you're watching "world news now."

♪ oh, play me some mountain music ♪ ♪ like grandma and grandpa used to play ♪

♪ then i'll float on down the river ♪ talent can be found in all kinds of places, not on this show. but moving on. consider the case of a young woman passing the time at her job in walmart simply by singing. >> thanks to a customer with an ear for music, this talented cashier is now a youtube sensation. abc's steve osunsami has her story. ♪ i'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter ♪ >> reporter: she's proof there's big talent in small places. 21-year-old kayla sloan was toiling away in the checkout lane at this walmart in west virginia when a customer noticed her singing a tune. and then pulled out an iphone to record the magic. little did she know the video would catch fire on the internet. ♪ my coat of many colors >> reporter: this is coal mining country. her husband is a coal miner, her grandfather, too. she told us she's had big dreams for years. but never thought there's any chance they could come true. >> i never even thought that it would make it that far. i honestly thought that people

would see me and enjoy it. but as far as it making -- making it that far, i never even dreamed. i'm hoping to be on the grand ole opry. ♪ take the ribbon from my hand >> reporter: when she was 15, she and her brother cobbled together what little they had to record this homemade album that no one heard. but now she's a hit. at least in the mountains and certainly at the walmart she calls her second home. ♪ we were poor but we had love, that's the one thing my daddy made sure of ♪ >> i've actually had people come through my line and be like, can i have your autograph? or will you sing me a song? i start singing. ♪ lord, forgive me for what i do, you want him, well it's up to you ♪ >> reporter: she now sings at her register, in the break room, and underneath the valentine's day balloons that are for sale. she says she'll never give up. no matter how small the stage. steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta.

>> she's going to make it. she's already made it. >> she made national news. big hit on youtube. some producer, some reality show executive is going to see that and go, book her. done. that's all it takes these days. she's going to be a star. >> honey boo-boo, here we come. >> i'm telling you. she can sing, though. i admire the persistence. >> good for her. >> no matter how small the stage. that was a nice line, steve. i agree. so keep on rocking. coming up, it's almost polka time on this friday morning and a little surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. surprise for our new anchor. stay with us, everybody. ing. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien.

allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪

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well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovan well, my new permanent co-anchor, the lovely diana perez, she has now completed her first full week with us here on "world news now." >> wow. >> the entire week now in the books and already we have learned many, many interesting things about you, my dear. >> yes. >> this has been an educational week. for example, we know that her husband deuces is an anchor there for our abc affiliate. >> why do we keep showing that ugly face he made?

>> in philadelphia. and he will now have overnight feeding duty for their infant son. deuces is a good guy doing his thing there in philly. so we learned that. and then we have this little guy right here, your 4 1/2-month-old son, you're a first-time mom, devon. adorable baby. >> thank you. >> and the love of your life. >> i love him to death. can't get enough. >> no. he's an adorable kid. i'll give you that. absolutely. and we also learned about diana's celebrity crush, penelope cruz. >> well, yes. >> which is my favorite thing i learned here. we'll talk more about that privately. but in the meantime, a very special polka with barry mitchell! ♪ born in philly, raised in queens, worked in boston for baked beans ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka ♪ we've picked a winner and it shows, just try not to pick your nose ♪ ♪ that's the perez polka

♪ i hope you read the fine print in your contract, it's a beaut ♪ ♪ twice a week you're at the theme park wearing mickey's suit ♪ ♪ look your alma mater's here with a rousing college cheer ♪ >> the hofstra hempstead cheer leaders! ♪ ♪ folks out there are half asleep, so how come all the fuss ♪ ♪ your husband's name is deuces but you're aces with us ♪ ♪ our youngest insomniac, that's the perez polka ♪ ♪ we knew that you were qualified the first time that you spoke ♪ ♪ we hired you because you laughed at each rob nelson joke ♪ ♪ just remember dignity has no place at half past 3:00 ♪ >> oh, that's okay.

♪ that's the perez polka >> welcome, diana perez. let's hear it! and we have a special something for you from cheerleading coach christina ferino. where is it over there? here we go. this is for you. were you a cheerleader back in your college days? these guys, seven times national champions. eight times or seven times? eight times national champions. >> thank you so much! >>

two majoorie two major stories we're following on "world news now." first, blizzard warnings and hurricane force winds expected just hours from now in the northeast. why this storm could go down in the record books. and the developing story from southern california. the major manhunt for an ex-cop accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. accused of killing three people and promising to kill again. it's friday, february 8th.

captions paid for by abc, inc. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. on this very busy friday morning. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. accuweather updates us on the blizzard, and we'll get the very latest from l.a. on the manhunt. >> terrifying story out west. also this morning or colleague robin roberts has announced when she is returning to "good morning america." a big update on her road to recovery as she gets ready to get up early once again and head back to the studio. and later on, the party invitation that's outraged whitney houston's mother, cissy. we'll explain this emotional situation coming up in "the skinny." a mammoth storm that will be hitting the northeast, bringing brutal hurricane force winds. get this, on top of the wind, possibly up to two feet of snow. >> storm warnings are posted from green bay to portland. schools and workplaces are closing while transit systems and airport operations are in

crisis mode. we begin with abc's chuck sivertsen. >> reporter: after back-to-back blizzards two years ago and the unforgettable wrath of superstorm sandy, mother nature is unleashing a winter storm so intense, the snowfall could be the worst in a century. the warnings could not be clearer. >> stay off the streets of our city. basically, stay home. >> reporter: a snowstorm that hit the great lakes with snow and ice is joining another storm in the south to form a monster nor'easter. as many as 23 million people are in the path. some coastal areas hit by hurricane sandy are in the bull's eye of a prolonged storm. some of sandy's survivors still living in tents on new york's staten island will have to move. floods threaten the northeast shoreline for thousands of miles. it's a dreaded sense of deja vu. along the new jersey shore. >> i think i'm going to have to move my things upstairs and see what happens. >> in case it floods? >> yeah. >> reporter: salt truck and plow operators from pennsylvania to maine are ready for a long haul. >> it will probably be a long four days.

you know? which is tough on anybody. >> reporter: fears of power outages sent people to the supermarkets to stock up. and to the gas stations to fill up. sales of generators are brisk, and travelers have been changing their plans, rebooking flights to avoid agonizing airline delays. >> u.s. air relaxed their policies. so i don't have to may anything. >> reporter: thousands of flights will be canceled. a necessary precaution when up to two feet of snow may fall in a storm that's destined for the record books. chuck sivertson, abc news, new york. >> this storm could bring the heaviest snowfall for some areas in a century. >> our coverage continues as meteorologist jim dicky at accuweather. good morning, jim. >> a crippling snowstorm expected here today. two systems colliding. area of low pressure strengthening as we head through the afternoon off the eastern seaboard here. watching the corridor from new york city on north and eastward. blizzard conditions from long island up on through bangor,

maine, as we head through the overnight. worst conditions from noontime on. but the worst of the worst occurs around 7:00 p.m. tonight on through the early morning hours. by the time all is said and done, many spots one to two feet of snow. rob and diana, back to you. >> our thanks to jim. now to our other top story. the intense search in southern california for suspected triple killer christopher dorner. right now they're focusing on the big bear lake area about 80 miles east of los angeles. that's where dorner's burnt out pickup truck was discovered. dorner, an ex-cop, is wanted for killing a police officer, a popular basketball coach, and her fiance. abc's nick watt reports on the motive. >> reporter: 33-year-old christopher dorner lives here in orange county with his mother. a forensic psychologist who just read his manifesto has a startling conclusion. dorner was never planning to return home. >> i think he wants to kill as many people as he can. and -- >> and then be killed? >> and then be killed. >> reporter: four years ago he says when he was fired by the

lapd, he claimed a colleague kicked a detainee. the department disagreed. the former chief who once met dorner doesn't remember the case. >> believe me, the department goes through exhaustive efforts, and there are a multiple series of trials and reviews before an officer would be discharged. >> reporter: no one grows up and wants to be a cop killer, wrote dorner. it was against everything i ever was. in his sometimes rambling 6,000-word statement, dorner said he wants to clear his name and expose corruption. >> he knows what he's doing. >> reporter: but why now? dorner was honorably discharged from the u.s. navy reserve just last friday after ten years' service. including a tour in the persian gulf. was that the trigger for this killing spree? or evidence of careful planning? >> i have more questions than i do have answers at this point. >> reporter: if dorner gets his apparent wish, if he is killed, we might never know the whole truth. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> wow. and this 6,000 word manifesto gives some scary insight into

what he is thinking. there's one part in the document where he writes, self-preservation is no longer important to me. i do not fear death, as i died long ago on 1/2/09, referring to the day he was fired. >> right. >> from the force here. so this is a guy as you heard from the piece who is looking to kill and be killed. that's what makes him so dangerous. >> this manifesto is interesting. he kind of switches between completely insane and 100% lucid. >> yes. >> he talks about two different political figures and different stars on television almost like this is something he now has a platform. and unfortunately, he does. because this is such a big story. we have to talk about it. we have to talk about him. but experts say he's not crazy. he's just narcissistic. >> exactly. >> it's all about him. >> it's a sickness in terms of that it drove him to murder. but he's very much like you heard, aware of what he's doing. he mentioned celebrities.

in the same manifesto he talked about ellen degeneres. he talked about larry david. charlie sheen and celebrity chief anthony bordain. so in this mix of talking about his life, his tribulations, these celebrity things intertwined. he also sent a package to anderson cooper. >> we'll get into that later on. you'll see what was in the package. just looking for attention and he's obviously getting it and he's -- he's getting it in more ways than one. and we need to find him. >> absolutely. >> they need to find him. >> exactly. that's why the l.a. area, understandably, is very much on edge. >> on edge tonight. that's true. in other news this morning, boeing has been given the okay to run test flights on its 787 dreamliner. even though one jet flew from texas to washington state yesterday, the entire fleet of 787 passenger planes remains grounded. the upcoming flight will be used to test the plane's lithium ion batteries. the giant jets were taken out of service after one battery caused a fire and another smoldered during a flight. airline analysts predict if and when american airlines merges with us airways, fares

could go up simply because there will be less competition. fares, in fact, have gone up 20% since 2009. industry experts also say there could be an emergence of discount carriers looking for business. the merger is expected to be announced next week, but will still need regulatory approval. in a small texas school district, there are a lot of double-takes going on this semester. >> that's for sure. that's because there are 14, yeah, 14 sets of twins roaming those halls. the twins are not all identical. but those who are shared stories of switching places. >> some of the kids say their parents are urging them to dress differently to make it less confusing for their teachers. now, this is a great story. but interesting fact, this is not a record. i did a story in connecticut. this is a school district in texas. i did a story where in one high

school there are 14 sets of twins in one school. and a lot of these kids had come up through, you know, elementary school, middle school, high school and they were sad they were going to be separated once college came. but they are the record holders. guinness book of world records. >> how long ago did you do that story? >> that was probably 2 1/2 years ago. >> okay. >> yeah. so some of them have -- most of them have already graduated. >> in this latest case in texas only one set of the twins is actually a boy/girl combo. the rest of them are same sex. isn't that interesting? >> wow. yeah. there were a lot of boy/girl combos in the story i did. so cool. >> would you want a twin? >> always. my entire life i wanted a twin. >> really? >> my entire life i wanted a twin. and i want to have twins. >> so you're not done with the one kid? is that what you're saying? >> that's what i'm saying on television. >> you heard that, deuces. >> hey, baby. >> have a wonderful valentine's day. coming up later in the show, why justin bieber is complaining, even though he's hitting a big musical milestone.

>> that's true. and robin roberts' recovery and the date she and her doctors have set to return to "good morning america." you're watching "world news now." [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide

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♪

♪ ♪ we have some excellent news to pass along to you this morning about our friend and colleague, robin roberts. >> she has officially announced when she will return to the airwaves. abc's linzie janis reports on robin's recovery and how she is preparing for the big return. >> robin, this is a moment we have been waiting for. >> reporter: "good morning america's" robin roberts has been cleared by her doctors to return to work. she's been testing her strength, running through shows and winding her alarm clock back to 3:45 a.m. and now we have a date. >> wednesday, february 20th. exactly five months to the day she had her bone marrow transplant. >> reporter: robin rejoins co-host george stephanopoulos and the rest of the "gma" gang. and they aren't the only ones welcoming her home. >> robin roberts is coming back to the show. >> oh, my god. >> welcome back, robin. >> robin, i love you. god bless you. >> i am delighted to know that

robin is coming back on the air. >> welcome back, robin! >> reporter: just last week, robin returned to her hometown in mississippi for the first time since her bone marrow transplant. watching the super bowl and celebrating her recovery with family. >> i feel mother's spirit. i feel daddy's spirit. and i know that from their heavenly balcony right now, they are celebrating. >> reporter: it was robin's sister, sally ann, who donated the bone marrow robin needed to get better. her blood disorder was a side effect of chemotherapy she received as part of her breast cancer treatment back in 2007. when she returns, robin will be eased back in, working her way back up to five days a week. she says she can't wait. linzie janis, abc news, new york. >> it is wonderful, wonderful to see her. now, she eased her way back in. so it's nice to see that she's finally going to -- we're going to see her. >> february 20th is the big day. she's had a miraculous recovery.

i've said it on the air before. i'll say it again. she is one of the most grounded, down to earth, real home, genuine human beings, don't let all the tv stuff go to her head, people in this entire building. so we're all just happy she's back and wish her nothing but the best. the show is not the same without her there. >> i know. we'll finally start tuning back in, robin. >> we'll see you in a few days. coming up, outcry over insensitivity from whitney houston's mother. and justin bieber's upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny." er. and justin bieber's upset, even though he's hit a musical milestone. next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> welcome to "the skinny," everybody. we're starting with whitney houston's mom, cissy, who is very upset. so she got an invitation to collide davis's grammy party. now, as you may remember, it was the annual party last year or leading up to the annual party last year that whitney houston died in the hotel. >> she performed at that party, remember that? last year. and then later that night went to the hotel and that's when she passed away. because the next night was the grammys. something like that. yeah.

>> so anyway, mom says she got the invitation. she called it obscene. she says she has no idea why they would want me to come to the party in which she died. she called it unheard of. but she did say she probably -- she thinks they sent it to her for remembrance's sake. she's not attending the party. she's not attending the grammys. she did admit she will be tuning in to watch. and all of this kind of ties into the fact that she also just released a book which bobbi kristina tweeted out, saying it was disrespectful to her and her mother. to which cissy says she's grieving. we get it. we know she's grieving, but she knows that i love her. >> a lot of houston family drama. the daughter and the relationship with bobbi and all this kind of stuff. >> lots of drama. >> it's not obscene to be invited. it's obviously a sign of respect. clyde made whitney a star. >> the entire family is still grieving. so it's got to be a sensitive subject. >> one other sad note before we move on to some lighter news. we wanted to give our respects to stuart freeborn. he passed away at the age of 98

in london. you may not know the name or face, but you know his work. he was the makeup genius behind "star wars." he's the one who did chee chewbacca and java the hut. had a six decade career in film. he did "2001 space odyssey," but his claim to fame was "star wars" and george lucas released an incredibly flattering statement saying he was already a legend in the business before he even came to the set of "star wars." but just wanted to note that passing and send thoughts and love to the family. but everyone loves "star wars." >> absolutely. incredible man, incredible work. justin bieber has become the first artist with five number one albums before his 19th birthday. >> wow, before 19. >> before he hit 19, this man has -- this boy, this teenager has five number one albums on the billboard 200. "believe acoustic" debuts atop the list with 211,000 copies sold. but great success and great

tragedy, i guess if you can call it tragedy. he's never been nominated for a grammy. >> i don't think tragedy is the word. >> maybe not tragic. i can't think of a word. great success comes great -- a little bit less success. also, weird content here for a reality show. apparently the mandela family, yes, as in nelson mandela, that family is jumping into the reality tv game. >> what? >> he himself obviously has had health issues. he's not going to be in the show. but his two 30-something granddaughters will be followed by the tv cameras as they kind of do their motherhood thing in johannesburg as well as his controversial ex-wife winnie will be in the piece as well. the 13-episode first season will debut very soon. they're doing the press tours and everything. it should be interesting. we usually don't get a personal peek into this anti-apartheid icon and his family. but apparently, hey -- >> this man has been in and

outside of the hospital. he is a sick man. >> hey, it's reality tv. >> you've got to sign up if they give it to you. really quickly, john mayer is admitting he was a jerk to ex-girlfriends. we've all seen john mayer and those beautiful women he's dated. jessica simpson, jennifer anniston. now he's dating katy perry. he's going to be on cbs this sunday morning with charles osgood. on february 10th. he's basically admitting he was a jerk to his girlfriends. but he is a new man. >> girls like the bad boys. >> that's true. ue. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm janelle monáe. and i'm a covergirl. ♪

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i didn't even notice that. did i do that? >> yeah. >> nothing personal. >> it's okay. >> i roll my eyes at the week. from a super bowl blackout to a tense hostage standoff, it's been again another very busy news week. here's a look back at our friday rewind. >> we're not going to wait until the next newtown. >> we've identified gaping holes in the background checks. it's really become what is america's dirty little secret about these background checks. >> the suspect's mother, she may have reached out to mr. kyle to try and help her son. and we kind of have an idea that maybe that's why they were at the range, for some type of therapy. >> at the time i had plans to commit suicide. um, so i was extremely confident that no jury would convict me because i didn't expect any of you to be here. >> mr. dykes was observed holding a gun. at this point, fbi agents

fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child. ♪ >> we lost power. i don't know what happened. >> i just knew with jim harbaugh being on the other sideline and all those years we've been together, that that game was going to be a dog fight right to the end. >> when washington is the biggest obstacle to economic growth, we have a problem. while big banks and lenders built mortgage backed bonds, it was s&p's faulty ratings that detonated them. >> i have a message for california businesses. come check out texas. >> it's not a burp. it's barely a fart. >> celebrity birthday today. chris christie turns 50. he blew out the candles on his cake and he wished for another cake. >> i don't like to get emotional, but i know exactly what he's going through. >> today you can see that i'm alive. i can speak. i can see you. i can see everyone. and i'm getting better day by

day. it's just because of the prayers of people. >> that's a lot of interesting stuff. >> that girl is so inspiring. i love her comeback and just what her life kind of represents to everybody now. >> yeah. she's a wonderful, remarkable young lady. that's for sure. >> i'm not rolling my eyes at that. >> i'm sorry. i'm sorry.

this morning, northeast knockout. >> millions are bracing for blizzard conditions today. a damaging storm already causing transportation shutdowns, school closures and more. we have the very latest forecast. it was a very anxious night across southern california. at least one town on lockdown, as police search for a suspected cop-killer with an online

manifesto. new details emerging overnight. a developing story from texas. an e-mail hacking investigation involving the bush family. did a hacker break into e-mail accounts of both former presidents? and defeated. a stunner in college basketball. another number one team toppled. good friday morning, everybody. we do begin with the madness blizzard that is about to unload tons of snow and heavy winds on the northeast. >> forecasters say it could be the worst storm in a century. airlines have already grounded more than 2,600 flights. schools are closed in boston and a number of other cities. starting this afternoon, amtrak is suspending service between new york and new england. >> the worst of the storm is expected to hit this evening, with hurricane-force winds. we begin our coverage, n